【 E C L I P S E 】
by Madin456
Summary: There's an old folklore about the day Todoroki was born. — Tododeku. Fantasy AU.


**Summary: **Todoroki from the Sun Kingdom meets Midoriya from the Moon Kingdom. — Tododeku. AU.

**A/N:** a story about finding the truth, finding a home, and somewhere in between all that: falling. in love.

eclipse: _noun._ an obstruction of light from one celestial body by the passage of another.

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【 ECLIPSE】  
Chapter 1: The Sun

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Even after sixteen full cycles, Todoroki Shouto still doesn't feel like he belongs under the Sun.

Being born to the Sun King himself, Todoroki is arguably more solar than any other citizen in the kingdom. His flame-red hair is a striking inheritance from his father, and if that isn't enough to officially label him as someone who lives under the Sun, then the natural affinity he has with fire leaves no room for discussion: Todoroki Shouto comes from the Sun Kingdom.

And yet—his skin is paler than most, even though it should be golden and tanned by now, at sixteen spans old, like everyone else. Underneath the contacts his father forces him to wear, his left eye is blue rather than brown, a ring of ice circling around his pupil. And on the rare occasions that it rains, he feels drawn to the water almost as much as he is to fire; if he reaches out to touch the droplets falling from the sky, he might even be able to solidify them, _control_ them.

It has been years, decades, since the Sun cast out the Moon long ago. The Wall between the two kingdoms shows the strength of how the Sun can exist independently and Endeavor takes pride in his kingdom's ability to thrive without help from the Moon.

But Todoroki has always, always been fascinated by the Moon. He knows the tales just like anyone else, about how the Moon Kingdom is a wasteland now that there is no contact with the Sun. The people there are said to be skin and bones, weak and fragile from the lack of sunlight. They are barely surviving because crops need nourishment from the Sun and the dim glow of the Moon just isn't enough to sustain life. It's only a matter of time before the Moon Kingdom citizens die out, his father tells him.

That can't be true, though. If they've managed to last this long without the Sun, Todoroki knows that they must have figured out a different way to stay alive.

.

The Sun Festival starts as it always does, with Todoroki standing on a raised platform in the middle of the capital's marketplace. He's dressed in traditional clothing, loose pants and red robes wrapped around his waist, and he holds two strings of ribbons in each of his hands. It doesn't take long for a crowd to gather as the music of drums signals the start of the ceremony.

Todoroki raises his arms to wait for the beat that indicates the beginning of his performance. Near the back of the audience, he sees his father, the Sun King, watching him with the intensity of solar flares in his eyes.

Inhaling, he begins to dance.

His movements are small at first, just pacing around the stage while casually waving his batons, but it doesn't stay that way for long. When the music picks up, he leaps into action, flicking his wrists to create a series of small circles with the ribbons before using the momentum to twist his body, spinning into pirouettes. Red and orange colours swirl around him like twin wheels of fire and his heart beats in rhythm to the drums in the background.

The audience follows his routine with warm cheers and little dances of their own, the people themselves becoming songs in front of his very eyes. He bends low, snaking the ribbons along the floor, preparing for a jump. This part of Sun Kingdom tradition, he thinks, is one that he has always enjoyed.

The end of the dance is marked by Todoroki tossing the ribbons up in the air, catching both of them with one hand, and sweeping into a deep bow all in a single, fluid movement. By the time he walks off stage, the sun is at the highest point in the sky, and the festival officially begins.

.

He gazes up at the clouds above his head, at the Wall that encircles the land, and just as he's about to turn away, he blinks.

What he sees must be a mistake because, squinting up against the sunlight, Todoroki makes out the shadow of a person standing on _top _of the Wall.

.

The Wall is at least thirty meters above the ground and Todoroki has never heard of anyone who has tried to climb it before—even young children know better than to use the Wall as a playground. And yet, the silhouette he's looking at now stands at the highest point closest to the sun, and begins descending.

Todoroki has to admit that it's a feat as impressive as it is reckless.

Entranced, he makes his way over to the Wall himself, head tilted back to follow the movements. He witnesses the exact moment the shadow stumbles, loses their footing, falls—down, down, down.

In that moment, Todoroki moves purely out of instinct, running to the edge of the Wall with his arms outstretched as though he plans to catch the person. He can feel his heart beating wildly in his chest, palms starting to flare up uncontrollably at the thought of watching someone crashing to their death right in front of him.

The person—a boy, Todoroki sees now—plummets head-first like a rock tossed in water, and for a terrifying moment, Todoroki is sure he's going to crack open his skull. But just before hitting the ground, he manages to maneuver himself midair in time to land on his feet, bending low to absorb the impact of the fall. He straightens back up, barely even affected, and Todoroki watches in bewilderment as he takes in the surroundings.

They lock eyes.

Swallowing, Todoroki can't help but stare at the stranger. He's never seen eyes like his before. Eyes that _glow_.

"Can you take me to All Might?" The boy blurts out, walking closer. There's no greeting, no explanation as to why he was standing on top of the Wall; only—determination.

It takes Todoroki a few seconds to register the words, blinking out of his trance. _All Might_. He hasn't heard that name in years, and any Sun Kingdom citizen would know not to mention it under Endeavor's reign. Narrowing his gaze at the stranger in front of him, he asks, cautiously, "You're not from… here. Are you?"

For a moment, panic flashes in the boy's eyes. Then, he smiles sheepishly, hands fidgeting with nervousness. "Are you going to turn me in?"

And although it's not a verbal acknowledgement, it's a confirmation all the same. This boy, who climbed to the top of the Wall and somehow sustained only minimal injuries after falling to the ground, is not someone from the Sun Kingdom.

Which can only mean one thing: he's from the _Moon_ Kingdom.

"All Might is dead," Todoroki says instead of answering the question. He watches the boy carefully, observing every micromovement on his face in attempt to discern whether he's a threat or not.

"O-oh…" The boy looks to the floor and Todoroki guesses that whatever information he's heard about the people of the Sun must be extremely outdated. "Do you know if he really parted the clouds during the Year of Darkness?"

There is that glow in his eyes again, Todoroki notices as his heart does something funny. He nods once, expression controlled. "He did."

The Year of Darkness is a moment in history that is taught to every Sun Kingdom citizen, a tale of bravery and heroism displayed by their previous King. When the skies had become dark for so long and people started dying due to the lack of sunlight, All Might had gathered a team of people from both sides of the Wall to chase away the clouds. It is the only incidence in the past century that Todoroki can recall the Sun and Moon Kingdoms setting aside their differences to accomplish a common goal.

On that day, All Might had become the Symbol of Light, named after the very first rays of sunlight that passed through the clouds that year.

Todoroki supposes it's not a surprise that All Might is well-known by Moon Kingdom citizens as well.

"I guess I came all the way here for nothing," the boy laughs, nervous energy all around. He scratches at the back of his head before stretching out a hand in greeting. "My name is Midoriya Izuku, by the way!"

Cautiously, Todoroki reaches out his own hand. "Todoroki Shouto."

"Todoroki," the boy says, testing the name on his tongue. His face breaks into a smile. "Thank you for answering my questions."

Inspecting him now, Midoriya Izuku is not how Todoroki expected a Moon Kingdom citizen to look. He has hair the colour of life, vibrant green and untamed and nothing like the various shades of red and orange Todoroki's used to seeing on this side of the Wall. The freckles patterned on his face could very well be made of moon particles themselves, and beneath the sunlight, they almost seem to sparkle.

In the distance, he hears chatter and footsteps; the sound of people coming their way. He doesn't need to ask to know what would happen if they find a Moon Kingdom citizen on this side of the wall—capture, imprisonment. Execution.

"Midoriya," he whispers urgently, "you should go."

"—Yeah." He looks like he's about to say something before cutting himself off. Then, as if suddenly struck by an idea, he stops abruptly in his tracks and turns back to face Todoroki. "Do you—want to come with me?"

The words are shy when Midoriya says them but something in his eyes tell Todoroki that he likes the adventure, the thrill.

Todoroki opens his mouth to answer before closing it again. He thinks of the kingdom he's lived in his whole life and an entire kingdom that is unknown to him, ruled by a completely different celestial body. The sun today shines as brightly as it does any other day but all he really sees is the excited glow of Midoriya's eyes.

There are people coming closer now. If they wait any longer, they'll be discovered.

And, well, at sixteen spans old, Todoroki thinks that he's finally ready to see exactly what is on the other side of the Wall for himself.

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**a/n:** if we're both lucky, chapter two should be up in a week or two.


End file.
